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It will take years of study to understand the genetics behind chicken primary color pattens and secondary color patterns. I have been studying publications and experimentally crossing birds for over 10 years.
Go to the university library and get a copy of R.D. Crawfords "Poultry Breeding and Genetics". Copy the pages on the E locus alleles and study the E locus alleles until you have a good grasp of what allele causes what primary color pattern in male and female birds. Next, study how the other genes restrictors, diluters etc. in a bird effect the primary color pattern. Once you have a grasp of the previously mentioned, move on to how genes interact to form secondary color patterns.
Try this site also:
http://sellers.kippenjungle.nl/page0.html I disagree with some of the information on this site but 99% of the information is supported by research.
The biggest problem with chicken genetics is that it is very complicated. Most genes are not dominant but incompletely dominant. Some genes effect females one way and males another way. Males can have a completely different plumage color than females and still contain the same genes. I can go on and on.
One example is a white chicken- seems very simple- not so.
You can get white chickens due to the dominant white gene, the recessive white gene or a combination of specific genes.
Dominant white is not a good gene to use for making a white chicken so the breeder makes sure the birds also carry the silver gene, the barring gene and any genes that would make a bird black. Yes I said black- you must have a black bird that is changed to white by the dominant white gene. This gene covers black very well but does not cover red. You can have a red bird with a white tail that is dominant white. You would think the bird should be white but not so because of the way the dominant white gene works on the cell level.
Recessive white is actually a very good gene to use in making a bird white. The dominant white gene works differently on the cell level than dominant white so it will stop all color from being produced, well- most of the time. Nothing is 100% when you work with chickens.
You can also make an almost white bird using the wheaten gene, the columbian gene and the dark brown gene. I am currently working on a white bird that is not dominant white or recessive white. There may be another gene involved in the new white bird that I have not been able to ID. I still have more work to do.
Tim